


Young Justice Appreciation Month: Tales of a Team

by CaraLee



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - (Partial) Rule 63, Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Villains, Gen, Here there be angst, Here there be crack, I am Queen of the Typos, Most Times, Other Sometimes-es, The Story of Impulse, Why Robin Wears Pants, Written in 20 Minutes or Less, Young Justice Appreiciation Month, fear me, here there be fluff, sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-04 16:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 11,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5341382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraLee/pseuds/CaraLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fills for the YJ Appreciation Month 2015 prompts. Any shipping will be minor/background and cannon. (Either YJ or comics)<br/>Day 15: Band AU<br/>Day 16: Crossover<br/>Day 17: Fluff<br/>Day 18: Rooftop<br/>Day 19: Vacation<br/>Day 20: Backstory Swap<br/>Day 21: Circus AU<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Villains AU - Villains and Rogues (The First Team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a day late, but I figured that wasn't too much to join in the fun!

Wally shuffles his feet nervously. The Rogues Gallery generally makes a point to avoid associating too much with outside villains on a larger scale, that is how you get attention in a bad way. Len had insisted on this meeting though and Wally had convinced his unofficial foster-father to let him come along. Now, as he stands awkwardly in the corner of a room filled with villains, (actual villains, not just rogues) his own age, he is regretting it.

The teenage Superman lookalike in the opposite corner has not stopped glaring since the adults left them. He’s glaring straight ahead and Wally isn’t sure if it is at him or just, y’know, straight ahead. He doesn’t seem like much of an independent thinker. He’d pretty much walked in and stood there, possibly not even breathing. The hot green girl hovering by the door is glancing back and forth between Wally, mini-Superman, and the Atlantean speculatively.

None of them, despite being no more than a year or two older than Wally, seem friendly at all. So much for meeting people and making friends.

“So. Flash boy. Finally decided to come play with the big leagues, huh.”

Wally bristles and glares at the orange-clad blonde smirking at him from where she’s sprawled over one of the chairs in the middle of the room. He feels a little shabby in his slap-dash, friction-resistant costume that it had taken him and Len months to put together. “It’s Red Lightning. I’m not affiliated with Flash any more than _you,”_ He pointed at her bow and quiver. “Are associated with Green Arrow!”

“Red Lightning huh?” The blonde looks him up and down and smirks wider. “Classy.”

“Gimme a break.” Wally groans. “I was thirteen.”

“And Renegade was nine.” Orange Girl sneers, gesturing at one of the empty, shadowy corners. “And I was twelve. Your point is?”

Something in the shadows shifts and Wally startles as a small figure emerges a step or two, a sharp knife of some sort twirling through his fingers. “Dude! Where did you come from?”

“He’s always there.” Green Hottie rolls her eyes, not looking away from the Atlantean. Her words echo in Wally’s head, vaguely threatening in a creepily chirpy way. “He never says anything and he’s got really good mental shields.”

Finally, there is a reaction from Mini-Supes, who jerks and glares at Green Hottie. “Stay out of my head!” He roars.

The Atlantean stands to his feet. “Enough.” Hottie and Angry subside and Orange Girl rolls her eyes but remains silent. “Our leaders have matters of more importance to attend to than deal with your petty squabbles. Tigress,” He frowns at Orange Girl. “Keep your comments to yourself. Madam Martian,” His voice grows dark. “We will not tolerate this one more time. Keep your mind within your own self or I will inform my father of your violation.”

“Fine.” Hottie, a Martian apparently, bites out.

“Who put you in charge, Fishboy.” Tigress snaps. “I don’t need to listen to you. If Red Moron here can’t stand up for himself-”

Wally’s had enough. The Rogues don’t actually use violence that often, its effectiveness is limited against someone who can move a million times faster than you can, even if Wally is _almost_ as fast as Flash he isn’t quite. That doesn’t mean he can’t be violent if the situation calls for it. Before anyone else in the room can react he’s made it across the room and punched Tigress square in the jaw, laying her out on the floor, and is back in the corner.

Deep inside of him, the Wally West that used to be is wincing at the disapproving lecture from dad at hitting a girl, but he steels himself and ignores it. He left home. What his parents think of anything is irrelevant.

Tigress rolls and comes up with a crossbow pointed straight at Wally, he catches the bolt and throws it back at her.

“ENOUGH!” A stream of water pins Wally to one wall and Tigress to another. “If you cannot be civil than you will have to leave.”

Tigress scuttles to the other side of the room as soon as she is released and rolls her eyes, wringing out her hair. “Good luck with that. Like my Dad would let me go anywhere.”

“Then perhaps.” The Atlantean says sternly. “Since we seem to have no choice but to associate with each other, it would benefit us all to at least be allies.”

The tiny boy half in the shadows, Renegade, snorts scornfully, which draws the attention of the rest of them. From the looks on the faces of the other four, Wally would guess he doesn’t exactly contribute to the conversation on a normal day. “You are all fools.” The boy says sharply, glaring at them all from beneath his dark hair. Wally shivers at the emptiness in his blue eyes. “They may be working together today,” he continues. “But what is to say that next month Ocean Master and your father,” he motions at the Atlantean. “Won’t have a disagreement with Luthor.” He points at Mini-Supes. “Or that my master will not be hired to kill Queen B.” He flicks a black-gloved hand at the Martian girl. “You are lying to yourselves if you think this is anything more than an association of convenience.”

He throws the knife into the wall behind the Atlantean’s head, melts back into the shadows and Wally hopes that Len will say no to whatever proposal this organization has. He already misses Central City and James and Hartley. _These_ people may not have friends, may not _be_ friends but Wally isn’t a villain. He’s not a killer.

He’s a Rogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have now discovered why complete-psycho!Wally is so popular for villain AUs. He is impossible to write as a bad guy.


	2. Teenage Shenanigans - A Hatful, a Hole-ful (The First Team)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another day at the Mountain.

Conner feels a little disappointing when he pulls into the parking bay in the mountain and can hear Wally and Robin arguing over something in the living room. He'd been hoping for some quiet time with M'gann before the rest of the team arrived.

"Hey, Supey!" There is a blur and Wally skids to a halt in front of him, a broad grin on his freckled face. "How was your day, buddy? Ol' Pal-O."

Conner blinks in confusion. Wally is always excitable, to the point that Conner may have occasionally contemplated "accidentally" knocking him out just to get some peace and quiet, but he isn't usually this...manic.

There is a light nudge on his back and he whirls around to find himself face to face with his own reflection in Robin's sunglasses. The youngest member of the team is also grinning widely and Conner begins to feel a little nervous. Robin just laughs and hops around to drag Wally towards the kitchen, where M'gann has already disappeared. "See you 'round!"

Conner is still confused, even after he sits down to watch No Signal and the crumpling sound alerts him to the paper taped to his back. Though the sign explains why M'gann had giggled and hugged him and Aqualad had, very gravely, given him hug of his own. He does think he understands the warning Batman had given them about feeding Robin sugar now.


	3. Amusement Park - It's a Date (Robin III's Team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even after everything they have fought and everything they have lost. They can still be young and happy and enjoy the things they have won.

Tim knows that his jaw is twitching as he glances back over his shoulder. "This was supposed to be a date."

Cassie laughs and nudges him. She must think it's a gentle push but he staggers a moment and if he wasn't Bat-trained he probably would have fallen. "Oh, sorry." She frowns at her own hands. "I'm still getting used to...all this."

"It's fine." Tim manages a small smile, even as he winces at the loud laughter behind them. "Don't feel bad, it's not like it hurt or anything."

Cassie gives him a look, suddenly very serious. "Would you tell me if it did."

"Of course." Tim says evenly and her eyes narrow.

"Really. 'Cause Artemis thought it necessary to warn me that Bats have a bad habit of hiding injuries."

Tim hesitates feeling a little trapped and she visibly softens, glancing away awkwardly and crossing her arms self-conciously. "Just, tell me please. I can't always tell if I'm controlling it well enough. Consider it helping me train if you have to."

Tim nods and takes her hand in his with a smile. They walk on in silence for a moment and he can't help but feel just a little tense. That isn't exactly a normal reaction to a carnival, but the last time he was anywhere like this he was barely three years old and he watched four people fall to their deaths.

"Ooooh! Popcorn!" A sharp squeal re-announces the presence of the date-crashers as Bart scurries up closer to point at the vendor just ahead. "Can we, Rob?"

At least the speedster has finally stopped trying to call him by his real name in public. Tim elbows him in the ribs and feels a small sense of satisfaction at the huff Bart makes. "Why are you asking me? Get your own."

"We don't have any money." Garfield informs them seriously, hanging off Cassie's shoulder, looking strange in his charm-induced normality.

"Why are you even crashing _our_ date?" Tim wonders. "Couldn't you pester Kon and your sister instead."

Gar grimaces. "Conner gets all growly and scary when I do that." He brightens "It's official though, they are back together!" His feet aren't even touching the ground anymore, he's swinging back and forth, held up by the arm that Tim isn't holding onto himself. Bart is pacing them on Tim's other side, vibrating with impatience, Virgil's hand gripping his elbow the only thing keeping him from dashing back and forth at inhuman speeds.

Tim can't help but be grateful that if his date is being crashed, then at least one of the crashers has a modicum of common sense and can help corral the other two.

Maybe he and Cassie can lose them in the menagerie.


	4. Song Day - Life Is Beautiful (Dick Grayson & Wally West)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My interpretation of the prompt "song day"  
> Step One: Start ipod on shuffle  
> Step Two: Put that song on repeat  
> Step Three: Write

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that provided the chapter is [Life is Beautiful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm16fvoVUYI) by The Afters

"Hey. What's got you so down?"

Dick doesn't turn around, keeping his eyes fixed on the skyline. Most people would be reluctant to perch on the highest pinnacle of the Gotham Cathedral but for the last Flying Grayson such a precarious location is more familiar and comfortable than solid ground. "I think you know."

"Yeah." a rustle as the intruder dropps to sit beside him. "But its not a good reason."

"Oh yeah," Dick says listlessly. "Why not?"

"C'mon," A warm chuckle. "It wasn't all bad now was it? I mean-" a hand waves into Dick's field of vision, gesturing to the open air ahead which for a moment seemes to shimmer as if all of the images in his mind's eye are coming to life there.

***

_"I know that I can never replace your parents Dick." Bruce said nervously. "But I would be honored if you would consider allowing me to adopt you formally."_

_***_

_"It's good to see that they finally made it official." Dick leaned over the red-head's shoulder._

_"Yeah," His friend agreed through a mouthful of finger foods. "Even if it is really weird seeing Canary in a dress, let alone a wedding dress. Not that she doesn't pull it off-"_

_"Shut up, idiot."_

_***_

_They met on the balcony of the Watchtower with the hole where Superman had punched Superboy through the concrete.  
_

_"We made it. Finally."_

_"Yeah," a bright grin. "Even under the circumstances, this is pretty awesome. Especially since we saved the League."_

_"Ready for next year?"_

_"You have to ask!"_

_***_

_"To the Team!"_

_"To the Team!"_

_"To us!"_

_***_

_It had only been supposed to be a short recon mission, no more than a day. When the away team finally stumbled back into the Cave five days and seven hours after they'd left, battered and bruised, emotionally destroyed from what they had seen, they were met with the warm greetings of their teammates, hot food, hugs, and friendship._

_***_

_"I know you can do it, Robin."_

_"'Cause if you don't we are so screwed."_

_"But no pressure."_

_"Fly, little brother. Fly. We've got your back."_

_***_

_"She's so tiny."_

_"She'll grow." Dick said absently, gently tracing the outline of Lian's face, almost afraid to touch something so young and new. Until she smiled up at them, her eyes going unerringly to her father who beamed back at her, happier and healthier than Dick had seen him in years. "Welcome to the family, Lian." He whispered to her. "Our little miracle worker."_

_***_

_"Stay safe." Martha Kent smiled and hugged them all one last time. Superboy seemed to be in a daze._

_***_

_"There goes another one." The freckled arm pointed at the streak of light across the sky._

_***_

_"Come on, slowpokes!" Artemis shouted back at them, already waist-deep in the water. "We've got a whole summer ahead of us here! Let's not waste it."_

_Dick laughed as he was lifted off the ground and before he could blink he was beside her, blinking through the salt-tang on his tongue and ocean water in his eyes._

_"Oh, you are so dead!"_

_***_

_"Hey beautiful."_

_"Hey yourself. What are you doing idio-mph!"_

_***_

_"Do you need a moment?"  
_

_Dick nodded and listened to the footsteps fading before he drew a shaky breath and knelt in front of the new tombstone._

_"Hey, Jaybird. It's me. I'm sorry it took me so long to come but...I couldn't..." He choked on his words and had to focus on just breathing for a long moment. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when you needed me. I was supposed to protect you, that's what big brothers do." A tuft of grass came loose into his tightly clenched fingers. "Goodbye, little brother. I'll miss you."_

_***_

_"We really need to work on this whole 'covert' thing."_

_"Hey, I think the explosion is kinda pretty. And it is the 4th of July after all."_

_"_ Covert _. As in, 'Not openly acknowledged or displayed.'  Example, blowing up warehouses is not covert."_

_***_

_"They really went crazy in here."_

_Dick laughed and peered at the doorway. "Careful, I think there might be some mistletoe up there beneath all the lights and I'm not kissing you. That's what Artemis is for."_

_***_

"No," He says softly. "It wasn't all bad."

"Exactly. So why are you moping around here?"

"Because you are dead, Wally!" Dick yells, pounding on his knees with his fists. "Because you are dead and it isn't fair! You were _out_ and you had Artemis and Barry and Bart and your parents and-" He gives a strangled sob and crumples in on himself. "It should have been me."

"Hey! Don't you dare say that!" He can hear the anger through the sounds of his own pulse roaring in his ears. "Yeah, I'm dead and that sucks. But I don't regret it. Not for a moment." A pause. "I regret the dying part a little. I never wanted to hurt all of you like that. Especially you and Artemis. But the 'how' part? Not a second of it. I got to be a hero and help save the world. What more can a guy ask for?"

More rustling. "Now, I'm going to say this slowly because you are a Bat and for being the smartest guy I know you are a little slow emotionally at times." Dick can almost feel the hand on his shoulder. "Go out there. Live for both of us. _Enjoy_ it. Because that is what life is for and you used to be good at that, remember?"

"I remember." Dick says softly. "But that was a long time ago, Wally. Everything was different."

"Not really. You're older, yeah. But you are still you. Still an acrobat," Dick slowly hoists himself to his feet and turns in time to see what might have been the specter of his best friend's face as it shimmers away, leaving only an echo behind.

" _Fly little brother_."

Dick takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, feels a smile on his lips and a line in his hand, and flies.


	5. Angst - Smile Bright (Bart Allen)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this one may be a day late and a dollar short, but here it is anyway. Enjoy?

_"If you smile bright enough, laugh loud enough, especially when there is nothing to smile_ about, _then they won't see the shadows you are hiding."  
_

Nightwing had given him a lot of advice, but her last words echo in Bart's ears, drowning out the murmur of voices from the living room where his grandparents are talking with the first Flash about what to do with him. His hands fist in the bedding, crumpling the blankets that are softer and warmer than anything he has ever felt before. He can't concentrate, can't keep himself focused on his mission, on the here and now. Not anymore.

It had been easy before, he'd been up and moving, a clear goal and no time to doubt. Now, alone in the dark with nothing to do but sleep and think. Remember.

He remembers the death of his parents, only barely, but he does remember. His grandmother being killed in front of him years later. He flinches, not able to keep from comparing the young, happy face framed with red hair to the strained, lined, grief that was all he had known from the woman who raised him. Until today, when he saw her as she used to be. And not just his grandma but Wally, whole and well and young.

And others. Not speedsters but still family.

_"Almost finished." Oracle says tersely as he continues to poke at the internal workings of what will hopefully someday become the machine that can change everything._

_Bart vibrates in place, the panic choking him as he hears the shouts and explosions from the far-off entrance where Nightwing had gone to hold off the Beetle as long as she can. To buy them time. He's lost a lot of people in his short life, but it still hurts and as the silence falls he wishes he could spare a moment to mourn the warmth of short-cut golden hair and blue eyes that danced with mirth and hope despite the world around them._

_There is a snap as Oracle's fist tightens around one of his tools. The man swallows and Bart remembers that Wally had mentioned once, not long before he was killed, that Oracle and Nightwing were married. Not that marriage means much anymore, not to Bart's generation anyway, but Wally had been part of Before and people from Before were strange sometimes. Wally had laughed about it, said it must be a tradition because the first Nightwing and Oracle were like that too._

_"It is done." Oracle shoves the delicate machinery into Bart's hands and stands to his feet, reaching into his long, tattered coat to pull out the collapsible bo staff that he has been using to fight with since before Bart knew him. "You must go. You know where."_

_For the first time in a long time, Bart hesitates. "You-"_

_"Go." Oracle repeats, firmly, striding towards the door that the Beetle will even now be approaching. He glances back over his shoulder at Bart and his face softens, in a way that Bart has never seen from him before unless Nightwing was in the room. "Go, Bart. Change this." He takes a deep breath, Bart can hear the Beetle coming now. "When you get there, you will need to convince them you come from the future." His bo extends in one hand, a twisted knife appears in the other. "I will be your age, and go by Robin. My real name is Tim Drake."_

_A crash as the Beetle smashes another wall. "Batman is Bruce Wayne, Nightwing is Dick Grayson, Batgirl is Barbara Gordon."_

_The door bursts open and Oracle flies as the intruder. "Guardian is Mal, Bumblebee is Karen, Miss Martian is M'gann. Superman is Clark Kent, Superboy is Conner Kent, Beast Boy is Garfield Logan, Green Arrow is Oliver Que-"_

_He is cut off. Bart can see the tip of Beetle's blade-like claw protruding from the center of his back._

_Bart runs._

He grits his teeth and feels his nails cutting into his palms through the fabric of the sheets. He has to remember, as long as they can see he is nothing more than a tourist. Laugh, smile, joke.

Be what they expect to see.

 


	6. Author's Choice AU - Faith, Hope, Trust, and Pixie Dust (The First Team)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis is a Hunter. A Human. So how did she end up on a team of inhuman beings?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is actually not my fault. Blame [Kieron_ODuibhir](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kieron_ODuibhir/pseuds/Kieron_ODuibhir) who gave me the seed idea in her most recent chapter of The Till-Then From the Ever-Since (Which you should go read.)

Artemis keeps a watchful eye on her "teammates" and hides her cynical reaction to that description. One successful mission does not a team make and she has spent far too long battling the worst of the Fae to relax around a bunch of teenagers who happen to be examples of some of the most powerful species out there.

Though she really does wish that the Sprite would stop zipping around the way he is, chattering as speeds so fast that she's pretty sure the only one who can really understand him is the Pixie hovering at his elbow with an amused look. It's giving her a headache and the only bright spot she can find is that at least Sprites don't fly. The excited ramble on the scientific properties of some specific kind of seaweed got old around the third babbled word.

It throws her off. The way that they all seem so...normal most of the time. The artificially made Golem at least is fairly close to what she was expecting, short-tempered, hard-hitting, and uncomfortable around humans. For a Fae, even a Chimera Fae, he is astonishingly typical, at least until she walks in on him and the Shape Shifter awkwardly flirting in the kitchen, discussing ways to fit in among humans in stilted, half-formed sentences while gazing into each others eyes like some cliche from a trashy romance novel.

She passes the Selkie in the landing bay, laid out on the rocks near the water's edge. He doesn't do more than glance up from his book and she keeps walking, feeling tense and wishing that she had more than just her bow. She could take any one or even two of them when fully armed but feels keenly aware of her powerlessness as a human.

Climbing the outside of the mountain is comfortingly normal and she finds a place half-way up with both shelter and a view. The sun is setting behind the mountain and her hiding place is concealed in the shadows, the only sounds coming from the gulls and the surf.

"We _are_ a bit overwhelming aren't we."

Artemis curses and jumps to her feet. The Pixie is watching her, perched on a rock a couple of yards away, his head tilted to the side like a curious bird. With his gossamer-like wings put away he seems almost human but there is something _off_ about him that betrays the illusion. His features are too sharp, his balance is too light, and he himself is ever-so-slightly too small and delicate.

That and she has seen him in action. Despite their smaller size and fragile physical build compared to humans and most species of fae, Pixies are some of the most dangerous out there. Knowledge that is not helped as he cracks a smile which expose his dagger-shap teeth. "Don't worry, you seem like you can handle us. Pretty soon you'll be whelmed enough."

Artemis growls at him and crosses her arms, wishing she wasn't so obviously uncomfortable. "What do _you_ want?"

The Pixie laughs his eerie, shiver-inducing laugh and flips to his feet, clapping his hands and bouncing lightly on his toes. "Canary's here and it is time for training. I figured you might be out here somewhere."

She nods sharply and hopes he will go now, cursing her luck when he hesitates.

"I know you don't trust us." He says, more serious than she has seen him, even in the middle of fighting for their lives. "You've been trained to hunt people like us and now you are tossed into the middle and expected to work _with_ us."

"Your point." Artemis growls and he grins again. For some reason she gets the impression that he winked at her behind his mirrored sunglasses.

"Just saying that you don't need to feel awkward about, well, being awkward. You'll get there in time." He launches himself from the cliff into thin air and Artemis scrambles for the edge just in time for him to come up and hover at face level, his wings now sprung from his back and beating like a dragonflies'. "Don't let Wally get to you." He advises, "You'll do just fine."

He dives for the ground, his cackle echoing behind him. Artemis sighs and begins the decent. She has a training session with a Banshee to get to. (And really Oliver, what kind of Hunter has a relationship with a Fae? Seriously!)


	7. Age Up/Age Down - The World Turned Upside-Down (The First Team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epic Fail.  
> Ah well.

"Actually, I kinda like this!"

Wally glared at his terrible excuse for a best friend who had adjusted unfairly quickly to being almost two feet taller than usual and was busily testing his acrobatics to see how his balance had been altered. He wouldn't mind that much, and he knew none of the others would either but since Artemis was watching just as closely as all the other girls, Wally felt he had the right to be a little irritated.

How could you compete with someone who was going to grow up to look like...that?

As if she could read his mind, Artemis elbowed him in the ribs. "Pipe down, Kid Jealous. I'm not going to leave you for Robin." She tilted her head to the side as Robin went though a series of flips. "I  _am_ going to enjoy the view while Zee is still too shell-shocked to get territorial."

M'gann hummed in agreement as she drifted by, her eyes focused on Adult-Robin who remained oblivious to the attention he was attracting.

"How is this my life?"


	8. Ship - Hearth and Home (The First Team)

She is curious about this world they have come to, a world of open-minded creatures of one shape, who speak with sounds rather than the deep connections of her home-people. She knows these things because she listens through the ears of her Deep-Bond and her own sensors and feels out the minds of the Earth-creatures to learn their ways so that she may help her Deep-Bond live as one of them.

She had been unsure when her Deep-Bond decided that they would stow away on her Deep-Bond's kin-blood's dead-ship but she had been silent because her Deep-Bond was so unhappy. They only had each other and the loneliness in her Deep-Bond's soul was so crushing that she knew her Deep-Bond would go mad were it not remedied. So they had come and suddenly her Deep-Bond was no longer so alone. So many strange new minds, unaware of what she is and yet respectful, even fond.

She had not realized that her Deep-Bond was not the only one who was lonely. But they are not alone now, surrounded by these new minds.

There is the mind so fast that not even she can track it. It moves like a streak of lightning though the ether, always crackling with further energy, burning with a sharp intelligence, but never reaching it's full potential. She thinks that if it did, it might scorch this world bare with it's wild electricity.

There is the quiet, closed in mind of the little one, shielded in a way that hides him from her unless he lets her it. A mind full of shadows and echoes and loss and pain and hope and light and laughter. Nimble and swift, always planning, noticing, looking for strategies and finding them. A mind that sees them all, strengths and weaknesses and knows just how to hurt them but also burns with a fierce protectiveness and holds the secrets of the other minds close and safe.

There is the suspicious, guarded mind that is afraid of being with the others but is even more afraid of being apart from them. Walls of the sort that are built to guard against pain and make her want to sooth the fears and assure the mind that she is safe with them. They are her Bond-Clan and they will protect her, even from her kin-blood if need be. A mind slowly opening to them all, learning how to bloom in the bond.

There is the calm, even mind. Strong and steady, despite it's whispered doubts and fears. A mind that remains carefully blank to mask it's sharp observations and the knowledge that this is no game they play at. Underlying the calm is a wildness, snapping and sparking and giving off a sharp scent of soul-power similar to that which is so rare and treasured by the home-People-Of-The-Desert-Stone. A mind that is skilled at soothing the others and bringing them together as one.

And there is the angry mind. The one that rages like storm-sands in a soul-cracking cry of _why doesn't he want me-what-is-wrong-with-me-why-am-I-not-good-enough_ that reminds her so much of the way her Deep-Bond used to be. Beside the pain there is a strong determination and a deep desire for justice that reassures her. And a strong sense of caring for her Deep-Bond.

Yes. She had been unsure. But no more.

Perhaps they have a new home-people now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure this was not the original intent of the prompt but...When the muse calls!


	9. Culture - Parts of Us (Artemis & M'gann)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't have internet right now and haven't for awhile. Until I have it back, updates will be sporadic, and grouped together. Sorry 'bout that.

M'gann paused curiously when Artemis' bowstring snapped and the archer let out several sharp sounds, rubbing the side of her face where the string had caught her. Once Black Canary had finished treating the injury and departed, leaving Artemis to repair her bow, she drifted closer.

"What was that you said? What Earth language was that?"

Artemis startled and blinked at her, flushing a little in embarrassment. "What?"

“We have been learning about different cultures in school.” Megan explained, feeling a little embarrassed. “Earth has so many different cultures. On Mars, there are only two, White Martians and Green Martians.” She struggled to make sure that she didn’t betray anything in her voice. “And they speak the same language with only a few differences.”

“Same language, different dialects.” Artemis nodded and Megan filed the new word away for future use.

“Yes, and I was wondering what culture that language is part of?” Megan dropped her gaze to her hands, which she was twisting nervously in front of her.

“It’s Vietnamese.” Artemis says sharply, but with a gentle blush of warmth in her emotions that Megan is relieved to feel. “My mother is from Vietnam originally and she taught u-me to speak it.” A tinge of sadness enters her projections. “I don’t remember as much as I wish I did.”

Megan nods. “If you don’t mind,” she hesitates. “Would you teach me some of it? It might help you remember and I would love to learn about more about Earth cultures.” She holds her breath. The other girl has always been hostile at any hint of prying, but Megan so desperately wants a best friend. Megan-in-the-show had Sarah, and Megan thinks that even if Artemis isn't likely to ever want to paint nails and braid hair she can still be a friend.

Artemis is silent for a long moment before she agrees. “Sure. But you know there is a lot more to culture than just language.”Megan grins and drops down to sit cross-legged next to her, carefully avoiding the scattered arrow heads and other tools that the archer has laid out.“There is music and food and religion and customs and stories and so much more.”

Megan nods and hands Artemis the glue she needs. “I know. But once you know the language you can learn all the rest by watching and asking.”

Artemis grins and takes the glue. “True. Now listen up, this is how you tell a guy you think he's cute.”


	10. Friendship - Apologies & Hugs (Bart Allen & Jaimie Reyes)

It took Jaimie nearly an hour to work up the courage to approach the corner where the speedster had holed up. “Hey.”

Bart looked up at him and couldn’t completely hide his flinch. He hopped to his feet immediately and stood, practically vibrating as he waited.

Jaime winced in response and stuck his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Can, uh, can we talk? _Por favore?”_

The speedster grinned widely, as if he had never felt the flash of fear that Jaime had seen cross his face. “Sure! Whatcha wanna talk about ‘cause I gotta say, they didn’t tell us how awesome junk food was in the past-“ At that point his speech sped up to the point that Jamie couldn’t understand him anymore and Jaime knew from experience that if he didn't interrupt he wouldn't be able to say anything before Bart vibrated through the floor or backwards through the wall or dashed off somewhere.

"Hey, I just wanted to say." He shrugged. " _Lo siento_. About, you know. The thing on the War World and with Green Beetle and." He shrugged again and stared at the floor, wishing Khaji Da would _stop_ being silent and help him out. "Everything."

He was startled by the hand on his elbow and looked up. Bart was looking at him intently, and Jaimie wondered how he had never noticed how _old_ his eerie golden eyes _were_.

"It wasn't your fault." Bart said quietly. "I mean, Miss Martian said we could trust Green Beetle and you really wanted to know yours couldn't ever control you."

"And I walked right into-"

"No." Bart said fiercely. "Let me finish, okay!" He took a deep breath and Jaimie got the impression that he'd been sitting on this for awhile. "You did everything you did with the best intentions. And in the end, you got control back, and you aren't going to do it again, right?" He didn't wait for Jaimie to answer, just barreling along. "And you didn't really hurt anyone, it's not like you got anyone killed or anything, just because you can't even-"

He cut himself off, but Jaimie had a sickening feeling he knew where he had been going. "Dude, Kid Flash's death wasn't your fault."

Bart just sighed and sat back down. "Did you know he helped raise me?"

Jaimie blinked and sat down next to him. He could count on one hand the number of times Bart had said anything about his future/past and still have fingers left over. This was the first time it was anything personal.

"That time, with Neutron, right after I got here, that was supposed to kill Grandpa Barry." Jaimie could feel Khaji Da's attention focus. "Wally became the Flash after that, he survived longer than almost any of the heroes. He led the resistance after Nightwing...anyway, after Dad and Aunt Dawn were killed he helped Grandma Iris take care of me. He always made sure we were safe. As safe as anyone could be."

His hands were vibrating so hard Jaimie could hear them with his un-enhanced, human hearing. Khaji Da made a note about the frequency.

"I was ten when...When _that_ Beetle caught up with us. Wally told me to run and I did." His voice was blurring from the severity of his anxious jittering. "Oracle and Batman took over the resistance, and Nightwing (not our Nightwing) let me stay with her until she and Oracle were killed. Then Batman set up the mission that brought me here, he and Oracle had been planing it for awhile."

 _Sensors indicate that the Kid Flash is in severe emotional distress_. Khaji da said helpfully. _Suggest that measures be taken to comfort him._

So Jaimie did what he did when Milagro was sad or his _Abuela_ grew melancholy after telling stories of _Abuelo._

He hugged him.

(It was a good thing that Khaji Da was able to heal him though, those friction burns were painful.)


	11. Costume - First Meeting (Dick Grayson & Wally West)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The legendary first meeting that spawned an epic friendship. And also some much-needed changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still on iffy internet. Hopefully I will be caught up with these by the end of December. Life goals.

"Dude! What are you wearing?" Wally hears Uncle Barry hiss behind him and under normal circumstances he would feel a little embarrassed at having _those_ be his first words to the legendary First Child Hero but he really doesn't think that...outfit leaves room for anyone besides said baby legend to _be_ embarrassed. Unless they are embarrassed _for_  him. Wally thinks he is.

The little shrimp puffs up in indignation and stands on tip-toe so that he's closer to Wally's height. (Uncle Barry said there is only two years age difference. There is no way this kid is eleven. Ten would be stretching it.) "What is wrong with my uniform." He's obviously ready for an argument and Wally is more than happy to oblige.

"Well for one thing, what self-respecting person goes prancing around in green sparkly underwear!"

"It. Is. A. Leotard!" Robin shrieks, sounding distinctly like a girl. Batman is pinching the bridge of his nose the way Aunt Iris does when Uncle Barry embarrasses himself in public and she pretends she doesn't know him. "Not underwear, a leotard under a tunic! Why is that so hard to understand?" He gets up in Wally's face and Wally hops back. He has a very scary glare for someone so small. That must be what Uncle Barry and Uncle Hal mean by _The Bat Glare_. "I am sick and tired of people making fun of my uniform! Especially people who have no room to talk, _Kid Condiments!_ "

_Oh, it is so on._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speedy had a similar reaction when _he_ first met Robin some months earlier. The version of the Robin suit in the show made its debut a few weeks after this.


	12. Poem Day - A Hard-Bought Thing (Wally West)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A gift no man can give._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I agonized over this one a bit, but the poem that kept coming into my head was this one and eventually I caved. If nothing else, I found the last name of the author to be appropriate.  
> ["Song of the Settlers"](http://poetryinmotion.heavenforum.org/t20-song-of-the-settlers-by-jessamyn-west) by Jessamyn West.  
> Why do I feel so angsty? Why?

"It is never easy when one among us is lost."

Hal Jordan stands straight, uncharacteristically serious, but Artemis can see how tightly his fingers grip the podium. She has seen first-hand how close the first Green Lantern of Earth is to the Flash family. He had known Wally before he even became a speedster.

"Much less when it is someone like Wally West, so young and full of life."

Behind him, the holograms stand silent. Tula, Ted Kord, Jason, and now Wally.

"But something we must not forget is something that Wally told me once. He was only fourteen and had been Kid Flash for less than a year. It was after a mission where several League members almost did not come back. I was on medical leave for several weeks and Barry dragged me home with him. Wally came over after school and would just sit there and watch me." he laughs. "As any of you who knew him know, Wally doesn't sit still. It freaked me out."

Several people chuckle quietly. Artemis bites her lip and wills herself not to cry. The smile twitching the corners of her mouth doesn't help. Her nose feels like it is mass-producing snot but she doesn't have any tissues.

"I finally asked him what was wrong. He said that he was thinking. I asked what about."

M'gann presses a wad of tissues into her hand and Artemis gives her a grateful glance. It had been starting to drip.

"He said that he was thinking about if he really wanted to be a hero." Hal looks evenly over the crowd. "If he thought it was worth it, risking his life. I asked him if he had decided yet and he said yes. He said, that as long as he could fight, he would be there to protect those who could not, no matter what the costs to himself. Because if no one is willing to fight, then what is there to fight _for_."

Artemis turns a little to wipe her nose and sees Dick standing in the shadows near the exit.

"Wally lived this belief with every moment. He came out of retirement to protect this earth from enslavement or destruction. He gave his life and by doing so saved countless others.

Wally West was a true hero and I can only hope to follow his example and live and someday perhaps even die as he did."

***

_Freedom is a hard-bought thing--_  
_A gift no man can give,_  
_For some, a way of dying,_  
_For most, a way to live._

 


	13. Web Stars AU - Conversation (The Original Six)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest and say that this one confused me. (I actually know very little about internet culture despite my eight or so years in the world of fandoms.) But I gave it a shot anyway.

BoyWonder01: Ideas?

HelloMegan: Not really. It isn't like our channels are all that similar.

KidChemistC8H10N4O2: You mean any ideas on how to combine six diff YT channels for one ep.? Nada. I vote we all just watch Megan cook. ;)

GoddessofArchery: Stop flirting with her moron.

BoyWonder01: But the fans have spoken. We are way past whelmed into overwhelmed with requests for a joint-ep

AquaZen: Are you sure they insist on all six of us at once. How would that even work with our schedules.

GoddessofArchery: It's summer no school

KidChemistC8H10N4O2: actually my school started last week no can do

talldarkandangry: Sucks

KidChemistC8H10N4O2: ikr

BoyWonder01: ;-P

HelloMegan: There has to be something we can do. Hair styling, cooking, chemistry demonstrations, animals, social commentary and...whatever you call Robin's show.

KidChemistC8H10N4O2: ninja-ing

HelloMegan: Ninja-ing.

KidChemistC8H10N4O2: or video game play and cheat codes

BoyWonder01: You just jealous I have more followers


	14. Gender-bend AU: Girl's Night (Rebecca Grayson & Willow West)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover night at Wayne Manor.

“So what do you think of the new kid?” Becca grins, knowing what reaction her comment will get.

Wills doesn’t disappoint, puffing up with indignation, her face flushing and rendering her freckles nearly invisible as she starts in on a long, furious rant on just how annoying and chauvinistic and self-centered and handso _-annoying_ Apollo is. (Stop laughing Becs!)

The speedster thankfully put down the acidic compound she is analyzing before she begins the rant so Becca won’t have to explain to Alfred just _why_ there are holes in the furniture _again._ Not that Bruce minds buying her new furniture, but she hates being a burden, even if she knows it is only in her head. It seems wasteful anyway. (And she broke another chandelier last week. She really doesn't want to push her luck right now, at this rate Alfred will make good on his threat to have her grounded from Robin.)

The two friends are sprawled on the floor of the upstairs sitting room which had been turned into a “play-room” for Becca not long after she’d first gotten there. A canvas cover protects the carpet from any splatter and she wishes she’d thought of putting covers over the ping-pong table and beanbags. _Men in Black_ is playing on the TV, but neither girl is paying much attention to the movie in favor of the chemical analysis they have set up on the floor. It’s for one of Becca’s school projects and _technically_ she has an assigned partner but she knows from experience that if she waits for Anthony Mansfield-Kane to get off his backside and do his part then she is going to fail this assignment and Willow is always happy to “do science.” (Tony Stark wishes he was as cool as they are. They should watch _Iron Man_ next.)

Besides, she hasn’t gotten to spend as much time outside of the Team with Willow as she used to, and she misses getting to hang out with it being just them. (It would be even better if they could go find Rachel later, but the red-headed archer has been ignoring them lately, her feelings hurt that they chose the League over her. Which they didn’t, but Rae seems to think so.)

“You know,” Becca interrupts the rant. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like him.”

Will stutters to a halt before taking off on another rant about _how_ on earth could she like him? Especially with M’aat right there, hello!

Becca rolls her eyes, wonders when someone is going to clue Wills into the fact that Matt and Connie have been a couple for _at least_ two weeks now and bends over the lab report. If they finish this in time, they might be able to convince Bruce to let them use the gym in the Batcave for a couple of hours.


	15. Band AU: The New Girl (The First Team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one where I am completely out of my depth. Not quite as much as the Web stars, but still can't touch the bottom. Oh well.

"Roy is a perfectly good drummer!" Wally dug his metaphorical feet in and glared at the adults. Ollie at least had the decency to look embarrassed but Mr. Wayne just carried on as if Wally wasn't even there. (And standing up to your best friend's foster dad was one thing, but when said foster dad was also your _manager_ "proceeding with caution" was a generous term for the course you should take.)

"But he left." The subject of his ire spoke up from where she stood between Ollie and Megan, who had purple hair today with green lipstick and eye shadow. "And now _I'm_ here."

"We don't know you." Wally growled, leaning forward so they were nose to nose. He was distantly aware of Dick snapping a pic and made a note to beat him up and confiscate his phone soon, before that was posted on one of the fan sites.

***

That first practice was a nightmare. The new girl, Artemis, was a good drummer but, well, she reminded Wally of Dick, obviously used to being a soloist or with only one or two other people. Connor was broodier than usual and refused to loosen up enough that he didn't resemble a manikin instead of a bassist. Megan actually knocked her keyboard over and Kaldur looked like he was seriously considering murdering them all with his mic and running away to Bora Bora.

Wally got an alert on his phone telling him that he was too late to stop the pic from making it online and there were now rumors that he and the new drummer were an item.

He was going to murder Dick. Slowly. With his own guitar. And Wally's electric. And then shove Artemis' drumsticks up his nostrils. And hang him from the roof with his mic cord.

And then he'd have to go on the run because Mr. Wayne would totally put a hit out on him. Despite Dick's claims that "Bruce doesn't have _those_ sorts of connections." (Wally doesn't believe him.)


	16. Crossover: First Encounters (The First Team) Crossover with Avengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in the early days, sometime between Zatanna's first appearance and when Rocket joins the Team.
> 
> I'm taking this opportunity to tease a plot-bunny that has been haunting me since around the time I first started [ Five Times One of the Avengers Met One of the Wayne Kids](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3156632/chapters/6851792).

It was Stark's fault.

Well, probably. Clint doesn't actually know _why_ the common floor of the under-construction, newly renamed "Avengers Tower" had vanished from around him in a flash of light, leaving him in an unknown location, at the bottom of a pile of Avengers, surrounded by a bunch of freaks in costumes (yes he is aware of the hypocrisy in this statement but _he_ wears a _uniform_ and none of the Avengers wear cowls with what he is pretty sure are supposed to be bat ears, Cap's wings not withstanding) but it is most likely Stark's fault.

There had been a few tense moments before both sides had cautiously stood down. Clint doesn't know about the others, except Nat, but he is not taking his hands away from his weapons just yet. Just 'cause he is not actually pointing his bow at the green archer with the dumb beard at the moment doesn't mean he's not willing to.

Cap, Stark, and Banner, who has managed to not Hulk out thankfully, are speaking with Big Blue Guy with Red Cape, Bat-Dude, and the twitchy one in red long johns with a lightning bolt insignia. They'd said something about "alternate dimensions" and from there descended into a combination of negotiation and a lot of geek speak that Clint doesn't fully understand but has a lot of the same words and concepts he'd overheard while he was watching over Selvig and the other scientists who had worked on the Tesseract. He hopes his aids are just glitching but he doubts it, when is he ever that lucky?

It turns out that they landed in the New England countryside about twenty miles "outside of Gotham" wherever that is, and the locals are debating what to do with them.

The glowing green guys in matching uniforms seem to be in favor of incarcerating them somehow, a view the Bat-Dude obviously shares, while Big Blue and Red Long Johns argue for less hostile treatment. The argument doesn't seem to be going anywhere until Long Johns pulls out what seems to be a trump argument.

"If this guy," he points at Banner. "Does what he says he does, then sending him through the zetas isn't a good idea."

The eventual consensus is to take them to "The Mountain" something that Long Johns does not actually seem happy about, protesting something about "The Team." Hot Blonde in Fishnets agrees with him. Big Blue looks uncomfortable.

Clint really should have stayed in bed today, screw Cap's "team-building exercises."

***

"The Mountain" turns out to be an actual friggin' mountain in Rhode Island of all places.

They get there via a very tense ride in a caravan of SUVs that Bat-Dude had summoned. Clint spent the entire trip in a staring contest with Green Archer that was unfairly balanced in the other guy's favor because he had a mask on under his dumb hood.

It was Fishnets that broke the stalemate by rolling her eyes and nodding at Natasha. "Black Canary. Pleased to meet you."

Tasha shook her hand cautiously. "Black Widow."

Dumb Beard laughed and both women turned to glare at him. Clint was glad the other man beat him to it.

"Hawkeye." Tasha inclined her head in his direction, offering him up as a peace gesture.

Black Canary smiled. "Green Arrow."

Clint got to laugh that time. At least he was creative.

The rest of the trip was mostly silent, but Clint felt just a little less on edge now that it didn't seem likely they were going to have to jump on each other. He wouldn't exactly call Canary and Tasha besties now, but they seem to have decided on a sort of wary, mutual respect and he isn't imagining it that Green Arrow is also relieved.

The Mountain is also named "Mount Justice" apparently and their...hosts are "The Justice League". They are basically the equivalent of the Avengers here in this dimension.

Clint thinks he could get to like these people, at least until they enter the mountain and there are a bunch of _kids_ sparring right in front of them. A hulking teen with a strong resemblance to Big Blue is doing his level best to smash a boy who can't be more than twelve or so into the floor. The little one moves like Natasha, all lithe grace and barely hidden lethality, and he feels her stiffen beside him and knows that they are going to have _issues_ with these folks.

Shame, he'd been sorta hoping that for once they would have positive contact with extra-dimensional beings.


	17. Fluff: Meanwhile Back on the Ranch (Superboy & Wolf)

With everyone else away, even M'gann off spending time with her uncle, Conner spends most of the day working on his bike or watching No Signal, allowing the static to drown out the myriad of sounds his hearing picks up. Wolf is happy with the arrangement, settling on Conner's feet and only shifting occasionally.

At least, Conner thinks so until he becomes aware of the soft, white down drifting across the floor.

Wolf, it turns out, has decided to amuse himself by systematically shredding all the pillows from the common room and has already reduced four to piles of fabric confetti and wayward stuffing particles by the time Conner figures it out.

They spend the rest of the day trying to chase down the errant bits of fluff before M'gann gets back and trying to figure out a way to tell Canary and Tornado that they may need to replace some things again.


	18. Rooftop: Messenger (Bart Allen and Dick Grayson)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, these are going to be posted very late.  
> But I will post them, even if that sort of misses the point of an appreciation month.  
> Hopefully next year RL won't hit quite as hard.

Bart picked at the sleeve of his hoodie and tried to focus on watching the Blüdhaven night pass by several stories beneath him. As odd as most people would find it, he found something comfortingly familiar about Gotham's rundown, hopeless, ugly little step-sister of a city. It reminded him of the few human settlements that had operated in semi-autonomy under the watchful eye of Beetle. Dreary, rag-tag, the inhabitants scurrying by with the hunched in notice-me-not posture that Bart himself had needed to unlearn before he came back.

"Kid Flash."

His nails bite into his palms and a sharp jolt of pain lances through his gut at the tonelessness of Nightwing's greeting. So severe that it comes through, even though he also has the drawn out sound that means that Bart isn't succeeding in matching the pace of the world around him. He wills his molecules to _slow down_ and it seems to work.

"You have been looking for me."

Bart turns around. The former leader of the Team, a man that Bart had once only known from Wally's stories (Oracle had never spoken of him.) He doesn't look like either the determined leader he has been or the hero Wally had always made him out to be. He is pale and drawn, his hair lank and unwashed and he is ever-so-slightly bent, in weariness or grief, Bart does not know. Both maybe.

He nods and fidgets. "I...Batman gave me a message for you."

Nightwing draws back and turns to leave.

"Not this Batman. The Batman from my time! He said it was about the sixteen hours." Bart doesn't know what that means, but Nightwing freezes so suddenly that Bart has to check and make sure it was him stopping and not Bart himself speeding up.

"We already know about the sixteen hours."

"Can I just give you the message?" Bart whines. He really doesn't want to be here, with someone he so strongly associates with Wally. He suspects that Nightwing doesn't want to be here either.

The vigilante turns around and nods. Bart takes a breath and begins.

"Batman was not with the others for the entirety of the sixteen hours. Go to-" and he rattles off the first set of coordinates that his Batman had drilled into his head. "You probably also want to look at-" The second set. "But you need to hurry."

He shrugs. "That's it. Batman doesn't. Didn't. Won't? talk that much."

There is a slight twitch that might mean a smile on Nightwing's face. "Some things never change." He pauses and looks out over the city. "Why me. Why not take these to Batman?"

Bart shrugged. "Because Batman is busy with Gotham. And," he hesitates just long enough that Nightwing catches it and turns on him.

"And what?"

Instead of answering, Bart drops the the roof-top and hugs his knees to his chest. "Did you know that Wally lived until about five years before I came back?" He grins mirthlessly up at Nightwing. "By saving Grandpa, I killed Wally."

Nightwing doesn't move for a moment before he sits down beside Bart. "You didn't kill Wally, Bart. You saved the world."

"Maybe." Bart watches a beetle scurry across the roof. "I never knew you in the future. You were the first leader of the resistance. They caught you about three years in and killed you in a public execution."

Slowly, all the secrets he's been holding in, all the things he won't even tell Jamie begin to spill out. "Wally took over after that, but he mostly led from a distance. He focused on taking care of Grandma, Dad, and Aunt Dawn. Aunt Artemis was killed when Aunt Irey was three and Nightwing always said that he died then too. He just stayed operational for Aunt Irey and then me. He broke me and Grandma out of the internment camp and took care of me after she died."

He's crying. He doesn't know when that started. "They killed him and I was alone except for Nightwing. I stayed with her and Oracle and ran errands between them and Batman's resistance but Wally was the last family I had. They caught him because of me and then I came back and I killed him all over again."

Wally had never told Bart that Nightwing gave good hugs. Just as good as Jamie's.

"What am I going to find if I go to those coordinates?"

Bart shrugged, reluctant to pull back from the embrace. "Dunno. Batman never told me anything."

Nightwing hums thoughtfully. "I guess I'm going to infiltrate two different Shadows bases then."

"Can I come?" Bart hates how young he sounds. He hasn't been a child in years but he sounds so desperately clingy.

Nightwing shakes his head, a gesture that Bart more feels then sees. "No, you need to get back to Keystone. I'll be fine."

For some reason, despite everything, Bart believes him. Just a little.


	19. Vacation - Teaching Moments (Barry & Bart Allen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A semi-serious semi-not moment between Grandfather and Grandson.

"What's a vacation?"

Barry managed to keep from showing the reaction _that_ inspired in him and focused on making sure that he had everything packed. Joan and Iris had agreed that unnecessary super-speeding would be forbidden and he knew from experience that challenging the edict would result in Consequences. "A vacation is where we take off work and go somewhere for your Aunt Joan and Grandma to relax." He stuffed another shirt in his bag. Just in case. "It's a way of celebrating  Jay and Joan's anniversary and...the...babies."

"Ha ha! I knew that." Bart zipped around the room, examining different objects. Barry watched closely to make sure that nothing made its way into his pockets. "I just wanted to make sure that _you_ did. Who knows what weird things you oldies say in the past!"

Barry just nodded and didn't call him out on his obvious lie. Even if Nightwing hadn't left a message, the Flashes had known something was wrong even before Bart had confessed about Blue Beetle.

Wally had figured it out. In one moment he had gone from resenting Bart and doing his best to ignore and avoid him to sitting him down with a variety of snack foods to sample. Sharing food was a rare gesture for Wally and Barry had asked him about it the first chance he got.

_It's his eyes." Wally said seriously. "His story doesn't quite add up and he laughs and jokes but," He hesitated. "His eyes are like Dick's."_

_Barry, whose own time in the foster system had made him aware of children whose smiles hid shadows hadn't had to ask more._

"Do you have everything packed." He asked as Bart began to slow, the curtains fluttering in his breeze. "We don't want you running back and forth all the time because you forgot something."

Bart disappeared and reappeared, his new (Flash-themed) backpack in his hand. "Done! Though I don't understand why I _have_ to go to El Paso. I'm capable of taking care of myself you know. And Central City."

Barry's jaw tightened and he had to force himself to relax and ignore his desire to run through time to punch every monster that ever forced his kid's kid to grow up so fast. "Superboy and Miss Martian will be able to protect Central for one week. And I didn't think you'd object to staying with the Reyes'. Consider it a vacation for you too."

Bart began sinking through the floor and was up to his knees before he realized what he was doing and stopped vibrating. "Are the Garrick's afraid I'll break their house while they're gone?"

He sounded guilty now and Barry abandoned his packing in favor of pulling his someday-grandson in for a side-hug. "No, we just don't want you to be alone." He squeezed extra tight before he pulled back. "You ready, Kiddo?"

Bart smirked up at him. "Born that way, Old Man!"


	20. Backstory Swap AU - Might-Have-Beens (The First Team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't quite sure what to do with this one so I wrote a list of the team members with a brief sentence describing their origin/backstory. Then I drew names to see who got what.

**Robin**

Batman never intended to have a sidekick. Not until he was on the ground, at the Joker's mercy, only to be saved by a chunk of brick thrown by a tiny, dirty child with over-sized ragged clothes and wide blue eyes.

The hard part was justifying why Bruce Wayne would want to take in a random, nine-year old orphan with a history of running away.

* * *

 

**Red Arrow**

Green Arrow didn't actually run into assassins that often. For once, he was glad he did. What kind of monster raised a kid that way?

He winced and rubbed the bite mark on his arm. Maybe Bats had some tips for dealing with kids? Hopefully he'd be able to get through to the boy soon, it didn't seem like he'd actually _wanted_ to be helping kill people.

* * *

 

**Kid Flash**

Of all the things Barry expected when he opened the door, it wasn't Max Mercury holding a squirming, red-headed teenager by the scruff of his neck, much less for the boy to blur as he tried to get away.

Max looked exceptionally tired as he pushed his way in. "I found him out in Navajo country. Do you think you and Iris can take him in?"

* * *

 

**Aqualad**

His parents had many children, and Kaldur'ahm would never resent his younger siblings, but they did consume much of his mother and father's attention. Add to that the fact that he often felt...apart, different. It wasn't that his parents looked at him differently but...

And then he saw their king, battling a great sea monster. And he knew what it was he wanted to do.

* * *

 

**Superboy**

When Clark had dated Lana Luthor in high school, he never expected it to result in anything. She had been lonely, when her parents died her much older brother had made off with all the insurance money, leaving her wheelchair bound to fend for herself. Clark had taken her to prom, fetched her groceries, washed her windows, mowed her lawn, and brought her pie from his mother. They had parted on good terms and he hadn't heard from her since he had left Smallville.

But something must have come from it because he is sitting in his seat at the circus, eyes unable to look away from their teenage strongman who looks just like him with hints of Lana's face. (A Luthor's face, that he fights against daily.)

Lex might be a Luthor but so was Lana and he cannot in good conscience ignore their son.

How on earth is he going to explain this to Lois?

* * *

**Miss Martian  
**

If Cadmus could clone a Martian, what couldn't they do?

* * *

 

**Artemis**

Oliver was still mourning Roy's departure when Paula called him in a panic.

Artemis had taken her love of Green Arrow one step further and had blown up their apartment manufacturing trick arrows.

It seems he had a new apprentice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually really difficult depending on your definition of "backstory." Where you come from makes up such a huge part of who you are, so I went mostly with differences in superhero origin story with a few alterations dating previous.  
> So, Robin got Aqualad's backstory, more or less.  
> Roy got Artemis'  
> Wally got Roy's  
> Kaldur got M'gann's  
> Conner got Dick's  
> M'gann got Conner's.  
> And Artemis got Wally's.


	21. Circus AU - The Greatest Show On Earth (The First Team & Zatanna)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Wonder at the sights before you! This is the Wayne Traveling Circus and no one in the world knows better how to entertain you!  
> Just sit back and let our lovely and terrifying ringmaster take it away!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were three chapters added this time, this one and the two previous. Enjoy! (And let me know what you think!)

"You okay?"

Zee leaned into the hug and gave a shaky smile. "I think so. I know I can do this, it's just..."

"It's the first time you'll be doing it without your dad."

The deep understanding in her maybe-boyfriend's tone hurts, in a way that makes her own pain a little less, knowing that someone _gets it_. The guilt comes almost immediately and she pushes it away. She cannot afford to be off her game when she steps out into the center ring. That can come later. Instead, she keeps her eyes fastened on the spherical cage where Barry, Jay, Max, Jesse, and Wally are zooming around, the roar of their bikes and the exclamations of the crowd nearly drowning out the pounding of her pulse in her ears. The crowd roars in disbelief as Miss Iris steps into the cage and stands posed in the base as her husband and nephew and the others pass by and over her in a blur of sparks and movement. One mistake away from death.

Zatanna freely admits that she is an adrenaline junkie (It had dismayed her father.) but this act is a little beyond what even she sees the appeal in. Daring death amidst the noise and rough edges of the cage holds less appeal to her and is nothing like the quiet elegance of her and her fa-. _Her_ act, or even the defiant grace that Dick exudes when he flies. Only risk.

Then again, she knows the look that Wally is always wearing when he takes his helmet off afterwards, grinning from ear to ear, eyes sparkling.

It's the same look Dick has after a performance, it's the same look she sees in the mirror every time she exits the ring. The thrill of doing something you were born to do and hearing the applause of the crowd you have amazed.

Megan appears beside them as if from nowhere, a tendency she and her uncle have that makes Zee wonder if they aren't related to Dick or Mr. Wayne.

Dick reaches over and pulls a piece of straw off her costume. "How's Conner?"

Megan blushes but smiles. "He's good. He and Kaldur both think that Rajah will recover."

Zee grins. Rajah is getting old but he is one of their best tigers and Zee herself has done tricks with him. When he'd gotten sick outside of Metropolis the whole circus had been worried. Conner had hardly left his side, much to Wolf's distaste. That he was feeling well enough for Conner to make out with Megan behind the menagerie is a relief.

Megan grins back and Zee relaxes a bit more. She couldn't ask for a better assistant and she knows that she and Megan are going to _nail_ this performance. They have to.

"Where is Oliver Queen?" John, the stage manager, startles her and she blushes and smacks Dick's shoulder when he laughs.

"I think he and Artemis are with Mr. Alfred, getting their makeup done." Megan says. "Why?"

John nods. "I need to speak with him. It appears that Roy Harper has 'run off' with Jade Nguyen."

Because of the almost robotic way John speaks, (compensating for his accent) it takes Zee a moment to grasp what he's said. "Wait, Roy and Jade...ran off? What for?"

She knows the answer before it is given and groans as Megan claps her hands and exclaims over "how romantic" it is. _Yeah. Romantic like a bodice-ripper._ Zee can see the back-cover summary now. 'Trick archer elopes with contortionist right before performance! Is it true love? Will they return to the circus that is their home? And if so, will our dashing hero survive the fury of his act partners? Or the disappointment of the circus owner.'

John ambles off to tell Oliver and Artemis the bad news and let them know that they will need to use the duo act instead of trio. Megan frowns after him.

"Do you think Miss Paula knows yet? Or will she need to be told?"

"That," Dick says solemnly. "Is a very good question."

The clowns rush by them with Zee's props, Megan swept up in their midst, and she feels her nerves return. Dick hugs her again and whispers in her ear.

"Go show 'em what you're capable of 'Tanna."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Dinah is crying from the center ring. "We now present to you-" her voice is cut off as Zee slips into the "magician's secret" that will allow her to appear center ring, but she knows the intro by heart and mouths it as she waits.

"Today, assisted by M'gann, the Girl of Many Faces, we give you The Damsel of Deception, The Mistress of Magic, Zatanna!"

Her music sounds and she is on!

***

The performance passes in a blur but never once does she stumble or misspeak and Megan is the perfect assistant.

As she stands backstage, catching her breath and listening to Dinah announce Oliver and Artemis, she allows the exhilaration she feels to fill every inch of her body.

_I did it P apà. I did it!_

"And now, saving the best for last, I give you The Boy With Wings, The Child of the Air, born under the big top, The Last Flying Grayson, Robin, The Boy Wonder!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the curiously minded...  
> This is what I had in mind for [ the Speedsters' act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_of_death)  
> If you have questions about other roles, I will be happy to answer them!


End file.
